Have neglected my diary lately, last week I was knitting gloves for the W.V.S., have the fingers of one to finish. They say they want a lot, but I think it’s too late to be starting gloves now, they won’t want them much longer except on night guard. Ron has not been this week-end, the train service is so bad. I am pleased he did not, just for a few hours. I think it would have unsettled him and us too.

Father has gone on the box for an hour to let Mr Hallgarth help get his pigs off. 2 of those Father got for him at Alford, his have done fairly well considering food! We have coupons for pigs now, they allow 112 lbs per pig for 3 months, what idiots they are. We shall use up what they will eat (if we can get it) then sell the pig, I think G.ma may have it if we can wangle it, there is so much “red tape”. We shall all develop “wangling” minds if the war keeps on. When I last wrote in here Mr Bailey was struggling on with cold and asthma, he has carried on until a week ago, then could not come and now has developed pneumonia. I am so sorry, he is a bad subject, tho’ the new treatment has taken away the former horrors to a large extent. E got “pig cheer” the day after posting, so pleased it wasn’t long going. Ron’s was a little longer and some mince-pies broken in spite of tin. He was very pleased esp. with Pork Pie. Emmie has told him, Jean and I are to go there in case we are moved thro’ invasion. It is very kind of them. I hope we meet her people under happier circumstances.

It rains fast again this morning, shan’t wash unless it clears quickly. No more snow thank goodness, tho’ when we went to Alford Tue it was lurking under hedge-bottoms and shady bushes. Waiting for more we always say, but sincerely hope not. We have had one or two nice days, Sat it turned beautiful and sunny after a wet start, and the birds are beginning to sing. Chris took “Susan” to Rene on Friday after she had been at large a week. He caught her near the “Ideal Bung”. Expect dogs would not worry her as she was not afraid of them and would not run away. The soldiers’ fierce Alsatian set a land-mine off in the Marsh last week. His end was “pieces”, and very few mourners, he was a nuisance as he worried other people’s dogs.

‘Getting the pig off’ probably meant the same as ‘Getting the pig out of the way’ (See 31 Jan. 1941 )Chris, one of Will’s nephews, was Peter’s younger brother. (See 5 Jan. 1941)
The ‘Ideal Bungalow’ was on Sea Bank Road almost opposite Coastguard Cottages, a little further from the village centre.
‘The Marsh’ was an area, north of ‘Lenton Lodge’, between Anderby Road and the seashore, extending from near the bungalow ‘Sandy Hollow’ to Anderby Creek (see village map).

# SKEGNESS CHURCH BOMBED AND VILLAGE GUNNED

We have had more air activity lately. Bombs were dropped in Algitha Rd Sk. on Sat night, have heard it damaged Chapel. Last night as Jean and I sat by the fire a plane went by and immediately after 2 or 3 bombs shook the house. They dropped between Huttoft and Sutton. On Sunday morning (16th) a plane machine gun was fired near us. Father had just got in from watch at 2 a.m. and Hallgarth had just got beyond Hall’s. He said it came between Kirk’s and us, and then between Hall’s and Point circled round and past Hall’s to Kirk’s gate, then back over the Point to sea, it was very low and had to rise to clear Point. Father asked if bullets were near him. He said “No, not near, about 10 ft away!” He lay flat on the ground, his tin hat was hanging in the W. box! Halg. says the plane had all its lights on and he is convinced in was a Blenheim manned by Jerrys.

The Methodist Church (or ‘Chapel’) in Algitha Road, Skegness, was severely damaged by one bomb and two large semi-detached houses in the same road rendered unsafe by two other bombs at around 2 a.m. on Sunday February 16th 1941. (See ‘Skegness at War’, Marjorie C Wilkinson, Cupit Press, Horncastle 2007, p 11.)
Huttoft was about 5 miles north of the village, just beyond Anderby and inland. Sutton-on-Sea was on the coast less than 10 miles north of the village and just before Trusthorpe and Mablethorpe. No further details of the bombs dropped in those locations have been determined. (See East Lincolnshire map.)
The aircraft seen by Mr Hallgarth was probably a German Junkers 88 which spotters found notoriously difficult to distinguish from a British Blenheim when approaching.